House Of Gray
Country House (18th Century)
Site Name House Of Gray
Classification Country House (18th Century)
Alternative Name(s) Gray House
Canmore ID 32026
Site Number NO33SW 35
NGR NO 33774 32099
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/32026
- Council Dundee, City Of
- Parish Liff And Benvie (Dundee, City Of)
- Former Region Tayside
- Former District City Of Dundee
- Former County Angus
NMRS REFERENCE:
Dundee, Gray House.
Architect: William Adam. 1715.
Owner (at time): Smedley's Fruit Farms, Ltd., West Balgillo, Broughty Ferry.
NMRS/Simpson & Brown photographs:
Box 10 album no.157
eight views of entrance front.
House of Gray (outbuildings).
NMRS/Simpson & Brown photographs:
Box 5 album no.63
EXTERNAL REFERENCE:
National Library of Scotland: Descent and Kinship of Patrick, Master of Gray by Peter Gray. 1903. p.15 - text.
2-storey over raised basement, rectangular-plan, 7-bay classical country house flanked by single bay, finialled ogival-roofed stair towers and single storey over raised basement, 4-bay pavilions. Pink coursed rubble, grey-green at E pavilion, originally harled, ashlar dressings, piended slate roof. Cill course to basement, moulded string course to ground floor, rusticated quoins, margined windows, margined angles and band course at wallhead to pavilions and rear stair towers, corniced eaves course to main building. Originally 12-pane sash and case windows, taller at principal floor, 6-pane to basement. Rebuilt corniced, harled and channelled ridge stacks.
Gray House was built by the 10th Lord Gray whose family had owned Fowlis estate and Castle from the 14th century to 1667-9. The Benvie estate was purchased by the Grays in 1713, the house and estate being sold in 1918 when Gray House was purchased by James Ogilvie and lived in by him until his death in 1936. The house was unfinished in 1723 (perhaps the east pavilion) according to Macky. The inclusion of Gray House in Adam's publication has led to repeated attributions to him.( Historic Environment Scotland List Entry)
Photographic Survey (1956)
Photographic survey by the Scottish National Buildings Record in 1955.
